Surrept (33 page)

Leo spins in his chair while listening.

Kevin says, "The other subject and associate of Miss Underwood who was granted immunity from prosecution is known as Reginald Alexander Haynes, a black male, age thirty-three, also a Colorado resident and native. Mr. Haynes is a former Army airborne sergeant, with one tour of duty in Iraq and two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Subject Haynes was assigned to a security detail for the Afghani government and U.N. officials, nine confirmed kills and three decorations. He was discharged with honors. Mr. Haynes has one prior for drug possession and was about to be indicted for heroin trafficking and weapons charges in the state of Colorado."

"He has provided information regarding the principle suspects' involvement of heroin trafficking with contacts to Kabul, Afghanistan, and named three drug lords not known to the intelligence and/or drug enforcement community. All whom we believe are responsible for the funding and support of this terrorist action. Mr. Haynes assisted Miss Underwood throughout her investigation, including the critical evidence provided and the identification of the principle suspect still at large."

Kevin Anderson scans the room. "Mr. Haynes was also critically wounded in the Montana gun battle at the tunnel site with the principle suspect we know now as Adriana Marie Pucci, an adopted name, also twenty-nine, also a Colorado resident whose birth-given name was
Farah Salwa
. She was fathered by an Iraqi and mothered by an Afghani and was born in Baghdad, Iraq."

Leo Matz turns and listens carefully to Anderson.

"Her father was killed in the bombing by Israeli forces at the Osirak nuclear reactor facility, just outside of Baghdad, Iraq in June 1981. Her mother abandoned suspect Pucci in 1982. Then in 1983, an Italian infrastructure developer and his wife adopted her. She has a formal public education and attended private schools in Oxford, England as a child, and the Colorado public school system. Suspect Adriana Pucci is a graduate of Boulder University with honors, magna cum laude with a major in linguistics and business, is fluent in nine languages. She has no prior felonies, two misdemeanor arrests for political demonstrations in Los Angeles and Seattle. Suspect Pucci is presently at large, and is now considered to be an active enemy combatant of the United States. She is considered armed and extremely dangerous."

"Suspect Pucci has been placed on the FBI top-ten wanted list as number-one and a reward of twenty-five million dollars is now internationally posted for her apprehension. Pucci is the principle target of this investigation. She is close to the top and may be a principle conspirator. She is suspected in committing and/or conspiring in over two hundred seventy-one murders directly, and is suspected as a principle conspirator in the overall attack on the citizens of the United States and Great Britain, which has resulted in twelve thousand six hundred twenty-one deaths in total."

The room is dead quiet. Leo wonders if that is dead or alive status. He notices that Karen Satriano has been taking notes the whole time. That tunnel is her responsibility and she is probably going to undergo strong questions with the whys and whats regarding it being missed by HSA satellite and her ground people in border patrol. Leo can see that Karen Satriano is sweating big time about the FBI discovery, and the disclosure recited by the Assistant Director Kevin Anderson.

Anderson continues, "All notifications have been made to Customs, ICE, NCIC, Interpol and every law enforcement organization and intelligence service worldwide. That concludes our findings to date."

Leo has never heard of this woman and has no information on her or updates by anyone in his office. He needs everything he can get on this Adriana Marie Pucci, aka Farah Salwa. He needs to get a file copy from Kevin Anderson asap.

Leo shakes his head and pulls himself closer to the table as he interrupts. "Well Kevin, it sounds like the Bureau has been busy hoarding. What is the information regarding the next attack on this country. Would you mind sharing that with us, as it seemed to be omitted from your report."

Anderson opens his file. "The evidence provided a plan and outline for the attack as a nationwide contamination of the entire pork processing industry here in the United States." He looks at Karen Satriano and continues. "Complete with local contacts of employees of those processing facilities who would assist with this contamination attack plot, which numbered eighty-seven suspects, all of whom are now in FBI custody." He glances at Leo. "A list of the sixty-nine suspects, who would perform the actual contaminations at processing facilities across the nation, is included in our report. All of the suspects are Muslim males who had the biological contaminates in their possession at the time of arrest and/or apprehension due to our investigation, assisted by the United States Department of Agriculture and its agents."

Homeland Security Chief Karen Satriano is shocked and surprised by his disclosure and is thanking God for the FBI right now. She knew nothing about any of this.

"That arrest operation is presently underway at this very moment," Kevin says. "The outline also included the contaminate formula which is a biologically engineered super bacteria that if implemented would have caused the deaths of an estimated ten-million-plus consumers in this country in an unprecedented death toll."

Leo is floored by the Bureau's ability to keep a secret. Not even he has ever witnessed such an effective, efficient covert operation conducted by the FBI.

"The secretary of the Department of Agriculture and their agents of the Food Security Investigation Service have halted all pork processing plant operations until inspections are completed. All of the pork-related facilities involved are secured temporarily, with local special weapons teams, until the National Guard can establish security perimeters at each facility in each state. The products presently in the marketplace have been deemed safe by the Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has stopped safe the attack prior to occurrence." He looks around the room. "The biological contaminate is still present in the public community, and until this operation is completed, as you can imagine, we wanted to keep a lid on it. We expect full containment by tonight. The attack was scheduled for," he looks at his watch, "fifty-one hours from now."

Karen Satriano is angry that she knew nothing of this except a notification of a National Guard shift in the movement to private unsecured facilities. She thought is was just political maneuvering on the administration's part. She is about to explode with questions but is interrupted by the CIA's Leo Matz.

"Excuse me for my indignation, Kevin, but is there anything else that should be forthcoming?" He leans forward about to demand further insight.

Karen Satriano asks, "What happened to interagency cooperation, Mr. Anderson? Homeland Security should have known about this."

He glares at Leo for his insinuation. "Director Satriano raises a valid question. We think that the suspect Ahmed Jassim Ali Naseri was the manufacturer and the designer of the attacks and the developer of the super bacteria. However, that is not yet been officially confirmed. That investigation is still in progress. This thing has developed very quickly, as you all can see."

Leo pushes the file in front of him. "Thank you, Kevin, for forcing me to pull teeth to get all of the information. Is that all of the gory details?"

Kevin Anderson gets up and gathers his things. "For the record, yes, Mr. Matz. Excuse me. I have work to do that is productive in protecting this country and its citizens." He throws five copies of his file onto the table. "The entire file and ongoing operation details are all there, complete with all suspect and principle files. Good evening."

Leo Matz reaches for his file and slides one of the FBI files to Karen Satriano. He notices that Jack does not reach for his like the others, until last. He knew about all of this.

The room empties as Leo reviews the file he received from Kevin Anderson. He turns to the background info on Adriana Pucci. This young woman is the key to the agency's new agenda, and he needs to be the one to find her first. The administration is waiting to launch the three operations, as the mock pullout is taking longer than expected due to resistance from the joint chiefs who are dragging their feet at the Pentagon. Leo thinks that this Adriana Pucci, a.k.a., Farah Salwa, and those she worked for, are his new Huckleberries to target. She could aid in validating the war on terror. This could enable the United States to increase its foothold in the Middle East, as per the original agenda of seven years ago.

Chapter Eighteen

The next morning Dana finishes her third and final debriefing with the FBI in two days. They are all assembled in Reggie's new room. They have set her up there as per her request so she could wait for him to awaken from surgery.

Matthew walks out after Dana finishes. He is on the phone in the hallway with Assistant United States Attorney Jay Watts trying to find about David's release.

Agent Davenport turns off her recorder. "Well, Dana, you certainly have been through a great deal, but you're still here to talk about it."

Dana looks at her friend, who is still sleeping. "That man right there gave me the tools to survive this thing. I would have never made it without him."

Agent Taylor says, "His information was dead on, and he enabled us to get to you guys fast. The paramedics said if they would not have gotten to you when they did, maybe five minutes longer and he would not have made it. They also said you were losing blood fast as well, but your belt slowed the bleeding. You're a lucky woman."

Reggie speaks out and surprises the room. "She isn't lucky, that girl is more dangerous than a blind pit bull with rabies. If determination was snow, than that little blonde chick right there is a blizzard. Shit, she's the perfect storm in those tight ass jeans she wears. Lucky, my ass."

The room erupts with laughter as Matthew comes in wondering what is going on.

Reggie continues, "Here comes Perry Mason on steroids, everybody hold onto your gold teeth. There's a lawyer in the room and he probably wants a check."

The laughter erupts again.

Dana tries to reach her big black friend but cannot. Agent Davenport rolls her bed closer and Dana grabs Reggie and hugs him.

He smiles. "I told you the other night that you have to learn to control yourself from wanting this beautiful black man. Besides I think I'm going be down for a minute here."

Dana squeezes him. "You're my road dog for life, Reggie."

"Road dog? Check you out, talking all lickity-split."

Matthew Cohen looks on at his clients and thanks God that they are all right now. In the world's view, Dana Underwood and Reginald Haynes are world-class heroes.

Agent Taylor looks at Matt and extends his hand, "Mr. Cohen, you sir, are a credit to the defense pool. It was a pleasure working together; this country owes you great thanks, and I thank you. I've never seen a more radical play than the one you made yesterday while surrounded by more feds than a bank robber with a neon sign on his chest."

Matt looks at his clients propped in their beds. "So we pulled it off. This is the agreement for immunity from prosecution for David and Reggie. David will be released tonight. The firm has a car picking him up at the Denver FBI office. You people are international heroes. Did you know that?"

Reggie looks at his lawyer. "What do mean immunity from prosecution? Are you saying my thing is over? No court, no charges?"

Matt hands him the agreement. "Like I said, you guys are heroes. You are all over the news: CNN, Fox, all the locals, and every media publication in the world."

Reggie reads the agreement and when he comes to the signatures he recites the name. "Signed and approved by Robert D. Hastings, United States Attorney General."

Dana claps excitedly for her new friend. He looks at her and then at Matt.

"This is unbelievable. You said I was looking at the least five to eight years no matter what because the sentencing guidelines could bring as much as twenty and this says we are done. It's over."

Matt smiles. "You're paying for legal representation, and you got what you're paying for, Reggie."

Reggie looks at him, "How much, Mr. C.?"

Matt looks at his client and picks up his briefcase. "Well, I wasn't going to bring it up until you were better, but I got this check at the office the other day from the State of Colorado, for one hundred thousand dollars on your bail refund when they dropped the charges. Therefore, I figure that eight years of freedom is worth at least twelve grand a year, which is a grand a month for your freedom, which comes to ninety-six thousand plus expenses. I think that is fair. What say you, Mr. Haynes?"

Reggie looks at his attorney. "I told you he was looking for a check. So let me get this straight. I retained you for two hundred grand."

Matt nods.

"I also signed a power of attorney under your advice for my bail to be released by the firm, so we could expedite them to get my funds back to me quicker, and now you're telling me that I owe a hundred grand plus expenses and we're good. Is that what you're saying?"

Matt says, "Yes, that's what I'm saying. Is there a problem?"

Reggie is a little confused about how he should react. Mr. C. did get him out of deep trouble, and worked magic with the feds, but three hundred grand? He looks at his attorney. "So you want me to sign that check, right?"